Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said in Irish Republic capital of Dublin on November 14 that he was confident a lasting peace would be cemented between Northern Ireland's parties at last ditch talks on November 14.

But he refused to disclose the nature of reported new concessions by Irish Republican Army (IRA) guerrillas over their disarmament, the Reuters reported.

Tight-lipped ahead of Monday's crucial meeting between the pro-British Ulter Unionists and republican Sinn Fein on Monday, Adams simply replied "Yes" when asked if he was confident an end to 30 years of sectarian violence would be sealed.

Media reports have said the IRA offered an olive branch to disarmament earlier this week in a bid to reconcile the majority Protestant and minority Roman Catholic communities of British-ruled Northern Ireland.

US mediator George Mitchell, who has been chairing the peace talks, warned both sides on Friday the talks were now in their final and most critical stage.

In New York on Friday, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said he would not ask Mitchell to extend his role as mediator in the troubled Good Friday peace accord, but said he remained committed to implementing the historic 1998 agreement.